Oil-burning furnace and thermostatic control therefor



June 21,1927. 1,633,066

J L. BREESE, JR

OIL BURNING FURNACE AND THERMOSTATIC CONTROL THEREFOR Filed Feb. '8. 1926 Fly-1 I 21 w 27hr JZzmas L. 576865 J)? Patent June 21,1927.

UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. BBEESE, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO OIL DEVICES CORPORA- TION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

OIL-BURNING FURNACE AND THERMOSTATIC CONTROL THEREFOR.

Application filed February nace itself. Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a vertical section; and Figure 2-"is a detail, on an enlarged scale. A generally indicates any suitable furnace comprising for example, a base section A intermediate sections or segments A A and an upper segment A provided with the flue A.

B is a'surrounding air housing or jacket provided with a plurality of hot air passages B and a return cold air passage B C diagrammatically illustrates any suitable form of liquid or gaseous fuel burner, the details of which are not described and shown and form no part of the present in- ='vention. C is a fuel supply pipe communicating with a float chamber C C 1s afloat mounted in such chamber, the float arm C being pivoted intermediate its ends as at C. Its opposite end is secured, as at C, to the valve stem G the tapered end C of which is adapted to control the inner end of the supply pipe O D is a fuel line extending from the float chamber C to the oil burner G. Its outer end communicates with the passage D through the tapered valve seat D in the bottom of the float chamber C Aligned with said .valve seat I) is the needle valve stem D with its tapered end D, which is normally 8, 1926. Serial No. 86,696.

inner end of the passage 13 to'be in line with the furnace A and to be subjected to direct radiation of heat therefrom.

It will be realized that whereas I have illustrated a practical and operative device, that nevertheless many changes might be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic rather than as limiting me to my particular description and showing. In particular, my invention may be applied to a gas burner as Well as to an oil burner. The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

I employ any desired type of furnace within any suitable air jacket or housing, it being understood that the furnace heats the air within such housing, that the heated air passes upwardly through any suitable passages or conduits to the rooms to be heated, and that the general cold air return passage B delivers to the bottom of the airjacket B the cold air from the house. In general practice this volume of cold air so returned is a fair average of the minimum temperatures or the return air temperatures of the various rooms of the house.

I employ any desired form of burner in which a liquid or gaseous fuel is burned, and I control the flame, and thus the heating capacity of the unit, by controlling the inflowing volume of fuel in response to changes in temperature of the returning volume of cold air. I effect this result by positioning a relatively delicate thermostatic element, for examp1e,-a thermostatic loop or strip, in the return air passage. In the particular form herein shown, this strip is secured to and positively controls the valve stem D and thus the valve passage D It may happen, particularly when a number of windows have been left open, that the temperature of the return 'air may be unduly cold, even though the burner is burning with a very high flame. In order to prevent overheatingand fuel waste under such'circumstances, I so position the thermostat that it is exposed to the radiant heat of the furnace or is sufficiently near the furnace to react to a predetermined furnace temperature, even though the temperature of the inflowing cold air is so low as to tend normally to permit a large fuel flow. Thus the fuel valve is partially or entirely closed, when the temperature of the return air passes a predetermined maximum, and the valve isalso closed, regardless of such .air temperature, when the-furnace itself is heated beyond a predetermined maximum.

I claim:

1. In combination with a heating system comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein, a fuel line thereto, a control valve in said I fuel line, an air enclosing housing about said furnace, hot air outlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air duct thereto, a thermostatic control means for said fuel line comprising in part a thermostatic element responsive to the temperature of the air of the return duct.

2. In combination with a heating system comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein, a fuel line thereto, a control valve in said fuel line, an air enclosing housing about said furnace, hot air outlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air duct thereto, a thermostatic control means for said fuel line comprising. in part a thermostatic element responsive to the temperature of the air of the return duct, and so positioned as to be responsive also to the heat of the furnace.

3.'In combination with a heating system comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein, a fuel line thereto, a control valve in said fuel line, an air enclosing housing about said furnace, hot air outlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air duct thereto, a thermostatic control means for said fuel line comprising in part a thermostatic element responsive to the temperature of the air of the return duct, and so positioned as to be responsive also to radiation of heat from the furnace.

4. In combination with a comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein, a fuel line thereto, a control valve in said fuel line, an air enclosing housing about said furnace, hot air outlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air duct thereto, a thermostatic control means for said heating system fuel line comprising in part a thermostatic element positioned within the said return duct.' i

5. In combination with a heating system comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein,

predetermined excess temperature of the furnace.

6. In combination with a heating system comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein,

a fuel line thereto, a control valve in said fuel line, an air enclosing. housing about said furnace, hot air outlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air duct thereto, a thermostatic control means for said fuel line comprising in part a. thermostatic element positioned within the said return duct adjacent the point of discharge of said duct into the furnace enclosing housing.

7 In combination with a heating system comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein, a fuel line thereto, a control'valve in said fuel line, an air enclosing housing about said furnace, hot air outlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air duct thereto, a thermostatic control means for said fuel line comprising inpart a thermostatic leaf positioned within said return duct, a valve seat in said fuel line, and a valve member opposed thereto and a connection between said valve member and said leaf. 8. In combination with a heating system comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein, a fuel line thereto, a control valve in said fuel line, an air enclosing housing about said furnace, hot air outlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air duct thereto, a thermostatic control means for'said fuel line comprising in part a thermostatic leaf positioned within said return duct, a valve seat in said fuel line, and a valve member opposed thereto and a connection between said valve member and said leaf, such thermostatic leaf being so positioned as to be responsive also to radiation of heat from the furnace.

9. In combination with a heating system,

comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein, a fuel line thereto, a control means in said fuel line, an air enclosing housing about said furnace, hot airoutlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air inlet means thereto, and thermostatic control means for said fuel line comprising in part a thermostatic element responsive to the temperature of the returned cold air.

10. In combination veith a heating system, comprising a furnace, a fuel burner therein,

a fuel line thereto, a control means in said fuel line, an air enclosing housing about Said furnace, hot air outlet means extending therefrom and a return cold air inlet means of the returned cold air, and so positioned as to be responsive also to a predetermined excess tem erature of the furnace.

Signe at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 5th day of February,

JAMES L. BREESE, JR. 

